Pipe-laying apparatus



W. L. CHAPMAN.

PIPE LAYING APPARATUS. neucmou FILED SEPT- 13. 1919.

Patented 001118, 1921.

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PIPE LAYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1919.

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W. L. CHAPMAN.

PIPE LAYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED sEPms. 1919.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

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W. L. CHAPMAN.

PIPE LAYING APPARATUS. APPLICATiON FILED SEPT. 13, 1919- Patented UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. CHAPMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN OR TO MERRITT & CHAPMANDERRICK & WREGKING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WESTVIRGINIA.

PIPE-LAYING APPARATUS.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed September 13, 1919. Serial No. 323,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM L. CHAP- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, county of New York,and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Pipe-LayingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for laying submarine pipe and theprincipal object of my invention is to provide mechanism of this typewhich will operate more effectively over uneven bottoms. Other objectsof my invention will be apparent from a consideration of the followingspecification in which I have described for illustrative'pun poses oneform which my invention may I assume.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a partthereof:

Figure 1 represents a general assembly of my improved pipe skid;

Fig. 2 represents a bottom plan section, illustrating in detail thejoint between the skid sections B and C;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the joint disclosed in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4'of Fi 3' Fig. .5 is a section on theline 55 of Fi 1' I igf6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 1; and

F ig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fi r In Fig. 1 is illustrated ina general way a pipe-laying scow 11 provided with a suitablepipe-handling apparatus such as the derrick 12 and tackle 13. Suitablemeans, such as the drum mechanism 14, are provided on the scow forsupporting the skid section D and controlling both its elevation and itsangular position. The lower and rear end of the skid section D restsupon the bottom. A skid section C is pivoted at its forward end to theintermediate point 15 of the skid section D and rests at its rear endupon the bottom. Similarly a skid section B is pivoted to theintermediate point 16 of the skid section 0 and rests upon the bottom atits rear end and a skid section A is pivoted to the intermediate point17 of the skid section B and rests at its rear end upon the bottom.

The detailed construction of the skid bers 26 and 27 are section Adisclosed in Fig. 7 in which a pipe P is shown in position in the skid.This section comprises two longitudinal supporting members 18 and 19, abottom pipe guide 20, and two side guides 21 and 22. The bottom guide 20is supported on suitable cross-pieces 23 which rest on the supportingmembers 18 and 19. The side guldes 21 and 22 are carried by suitableuprights 24 and 25 secured at the lower ends to the supporting members18 and 19.

The detailed construction of the skid section B is disclosed in Fig. 6in which the pipe P is again shown in position. This section consists ofheavy longitudinal members 26 and 27 which in themselves act as the sideguides for the pipe. Recessed into the inner faces of these longitudinalmem- U-shaped strips 28, to which is secured, at the base of the U, asuitable upper guide 29 to prevent the pipe from escaping from the skid.Secured to the lower faces of the longitudinal members 26 and 27 aresuitable cross-pieces 30 carrying the lower pipe guide 31. The skidsections A and B are connected together by pivoting the front end of thesection A to the intermediate point of the section B in any suitablemanner such as by a pin passing through the longitudinal members 18 and19 of the section A and through suitable depending lugs on thelongitudinal members 26 and 27 of the section B.

The detailed construction of the section C is best illustrated in Fig. 5in which I have again shown the pipe P in position. This sectioncomprises suitable longitudinal members 32 and 33 to which are securedinwardly extending side guides 34 and 35 to hold the pipe againstlateral displacement. Secured to the bottom of these longitudinalmembers 32 and 33 are suitable cross-pieces 36 carrying the bottom guidesleeper 37 to which is secured the bottom guide strip 38. Secured to thetop of the longitudinal members 32 and 33 are suitable uprights 39 and40 supporting at the upper ends cross-pieces 41 between which aresecured suitable top guide strips 42. To aid in securing the guidestrips 42 to the cross-pieces 41 I may provide reinforcing members suchas the splices 43 each secured to the top of a crosspiece 41 andoverlapping the ends of the adjacent top guide pieces 42 to which thesplice is secured. The means of securing trate thedeta'iledconstruction'of the skid section"D or themeans of connection be tweenthe sectionC and the skid section D."

the section B to the section C is illustrated in detail in Figs. 2, 3,and 4. Each of the longitudinal members 32 and 33 of the sec: tion'Chas'se'cur'edto its'faces a pair of plates 44: each of which is providedat the lower extending edge with an aperture through which extends across-shaft 45 suitably secured to the platesby means of nuts 46.Secured to each face ofthe longitudinal members 26 and 27 01" thesection B are suitable depending lugs 47 ape'rtu'red'to receive" thecross-shaft or pivot pin 45to'th'us pivot the 'sectionB totheintermediate point '16 ofthe section C.

I have not c0nsidered it necessary to illus This skid 'section D may'beconstructed in substantially the" same inan'neras' the section C andby spacing the longitudinal members 48thereof a suitable distanceapartthe longitudinal "members '32 and 33 of the skid} Cmay be accommodatedtherebetween. It Will be understood that this invo1ves-mere1y thelengthening of the cross pieces 36 and 41 and the widei'iing of the sideguides" 34 and 35. If such aconstruction is employed, the pivotedconnection'between section C T and section D'w'ill be substantially thesameas that between the section B and section C illustrated in Figs.'2,3, and 4. As analter native construction" I may construct skid section Dsimilar to skid section B to' thus fit within the longitudinal members32 and" 33 of'the sectionG, in which case the joint construction" willagain be substantially identical with that disclosedin Figs) 2, 3, and4; w v

It will-be understood that the top and bottom' uidemembers of eachsection termi connected "so 'th'at'the various top guide'mem bers form acontinuous gulde' for the 'plp to the point'where the section A beginsand the bottom guide members'form' a continuous guide for the-pipetoftheextremetip' of the skid A. In somecas'e'sit may be desirable toprovide a topguide on the section A and in suchcases-this top guidemaybe supported in any suitable manner such as by extending the sideguide supports24 and 25 to form'U-- shaped members similar to thernember 28 of section In order to prevent" the deviation ang'l betweenadjacent skids" from becoming larger than the safeangle o'f'flekibilitypf the pipe-being laid,-"'I findit desirable to connectthebottom-or front-end of each of the sections D and C tothe opposite intermediate point onthesectio'n G or B, respectively, by any suitablefleXible 'means,-suchasa chain 4L9. If"desired, thischain may also"beemployed to connect the sections B and'A'in the same "manner.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 1 that as the bottomrisesthedeviation angles between the skids will automatically decreaseand the pipe-laying-operation may continue without any alteration in theskid supporting means. Similarly, when the bottom recedes the deviationangles will automatically increase but in such case this increase ofangle" will be limited by the chains 4C9 so that again the pipe-layingoperation may be continuedwithout any adjustment of theskid' supportingmeans. It

will be apparent, then, that my pipejskid operates'entirelyautomatically over uneven bottoms to *permit' continuous pipe layingwithout any'alteration of theskid "or skid support.

It will be understood maths-exact num berof skid sections employed willdepend upon the deptno'f water in which the pipe "is to "be" laidf uponthe 5 makirnum angle j of deviation permitted, and upon various otherfactors which need not be stated indetail;

While I have designed my-a amtas particularly for use overfuneven*botto'ms'andhave-illustrated"and described it in this connection-itwill be apparent thatmany featuresthereof are of utility in any pipe-layingoperation. It willalso beapp'arentthat my pipe-laying skid possessesadvantages Othefthan those specifically pointedout in thisspecification' It will be-understood that'th'e skid'herein's'hdwn anddescribed is but one form which my inve'ntion may as of hinged'lyconnected overlapping members and means foi" "connecting -each me'mberto the rear end of the meme next adj oining' it forwardly.

2; A launchingskid'for lowerin'gfa line of pipe intoposition,-'-comprising aplurality of'hingedly connectedoverlapping'members and meansfoif flexibly "connecting each'membe'rintermediate itsen'ds to the rear end of the member nextadjoiningit-forwardly.

of pipe into position, comprising a plurality of'ri'gid members, meansfor hingedly connectingfon'e end of each of said inembersto an'adjoiningfmemb'r intermediate its ends and-means for fiGXlblyconnecting oneend of each of said members withYan adjoiningmember, I

i. A launching skid *forloweringa line of pipe into position,comp'rising' a plurality 3;A launching skidfor-loweringia line" of rigidmembers, each of said members being hingedly connected at one end to themember next adjoining it forwardly and intermediate its ends to themember next adjoining it to the rear.

5. A launching skid for lowering a line of pipe into position,comprising a plurality of rigid members, each of said members beinghingedly connected at its front end to the member next adjoining itforwardly and flexibly connected intermediate its ends with the forwardend of said next adjoining memher.

6. A launching skid for lowering a line of pipe into position,comprising a plurality 15 mediate its ends, and a chain connecting a 20point intermediate the ends of each section With the rear end of thenext adjoining section forwardly.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this12th day of 25 September, 1919.

WILLIAM L. CHAPMAN.

